Several months passed since our first demonstration. The region was ripe for conquest. True to my word, The villages and other settlements that bent the knee were spared. They supplied us with food. We took no more than what we needed and let them live in peace. In return we supplied them with armor, weapons and a detachment of soldiers to better defend them. Those that didn’t submit were dealt with in the same manner as with the first village. Some were better equipped at fighting us than the others, and the fire urns were not always a viable solution. It took time to forge the urns and careful planning to make sure that the mixture didn’t burn us before its use.

  One conquered settlement wasn’t enough, but with every captured village, every bent knee and every banner that waved proudly in the sky, the pressure built up more and more. I anticipated the Bull’s next moves, simply because I had forced his hand. He would try to resist. I had no doubt in my mind that when I pushed him too far, he would send his horde to me to fight back. That was the real prize. And oh, let me tell you; it was a delicious flavor. The anticipation of it all was more intoxicating than fine wine. My revenge would be greater than anything the Blasted Lands had ever seen before.

  I was eager to face the Bull once more. The thought of facing off against him raced in my mind incessantly. One day, I gathered my council. Mil’Tuk had not returned from delivering the Uchanti to their new home yet, as to be expected. Kallista, Octavian, Straden and Brutus were all there. I had not spoken of Brutus that much during this point in my tale. My friend, I wish there was much I could tell you, but aside from several battles where he crushed our enemies, he was reclusive. He took whatever concubines he desired from conquered tribes and shut himself up, isolating himself from me. The one I relied on so much was like a turtle hiding in his shell from me, only popping out when it best suited him.

  Still, I paid no mind to it. I figured that he would open up to me sooner or later. “Now is not the time for this” I thought. Perhaps I should have tended to his troubles and spoke to him more. But what's done is done. I instead focused on the “here and now” as it was. Past hence, of course. We stood around the war table, looking at a map of the region that was drawn up. Small wooden figures dotted the landscape. The villages that we spared had a small replica of our banners while those that were burnt simply had an X drawn over them, having quite literally been wiped off the face of the map. Octavian was the first to speak.

  “Here is what we know so far, my lord. The remaining settlements are at the northeast of us. Unlike other villages that were in more open areas, these are secluded in more mountainous vantage points. It would literally be an uphill battle. There is a mountain pass where we could travel, but the siege weapons are too large to travel. We’d risk rolling them off and destroying them. Fortunately, when strength of arms fails, other methods prevail. One of the villages gets its water supply through a waterfall. If we divert the water away from the village, they will either surrender or go thirsty.”

  Kallista nodded and took a horse figurine off of the table.

  “Horses aren’t able to make the mountain pass either. We’d have better luck going on foot. The water supply holds a great advantage, but we need to be a credible threat as well. Fortunately we can lay siege. I suggest a surprise attack in the early morning. A group of our men will wear animal skins and crawl around. The mountain area has a lot of goats that would be perfect for this. When it's dark enough, they will just look like a herd ready for feeding. When we attack, we’ll scale up the walls and then open their walls from the inside and let our main forces in.”

  Octavian leaned over the war table and placed some figurines over the place on the map where the waterfall rested.

  “I’d prefer not to throw away lives needlessly when all we need to do is block their water supply. We could take the village without even needing to draw our blades.”

  “We need to send these people a message.” Kallista added. “Shock and Awe. That is what we should do. We can rush in before they even have a chance to wake up and get their weapons. By the time they realize what is going on, it’ll already be too late.”

  “With all due respect, Kallista; why should we risk any lives when we don’t even need to be seen? The legion can conquer without even needing to do anything. No large army, no surprise attacks. Simply daming up their water source will be enough to crush them. What greater message is there?”

  While both simply discussed their battle tactics, I stood over the map while I held a figurine. I rolled it between my fingers back and forth and examined it as I tried to come to a decision. My other hand stroked the scaly head of Sweetroll. The large reptilian creature had grown quite large. I believed I would almost be able to ride her into battle. She stared at the figures and flicked her forked tongue at them, knocking one over in the process, though no one seemed to care.

  As the debate continued to go on, the entrance to the war tent flew open, and a scout rushed over to kneel to me.

  “Lord Kai’Sar! I bring important news!”

  I looked at Straden and pointed over to a waterskin. The elder warrior nodded, taking it in his hands and giving the scout a drink. The scout was out of breath, panting like a dog in summer. He drank the water greedily until he finally felt satisfied. He dragged his arm over his mouth to dry his lips before Straden commanded him to speak.

  “Lord Kai’Sar. The Bull’s forces have been sighted. He’s issued a declaration against you. He wishes to meet you on the field of battle. He demands you face him honorably to discuss the terms of battle.”

  Oh my friend. Joy does not even begin to describe how I felt then. Elation perhaps? Or better yet, ecstatic might be a better word. Picture the largest word that you know that means a state of happiness or satisfaction. That is how I felt. The words “finally” couldn’t leave my lips fast enough when I learned of the news.

  “The Bull finally makes his move.” I said as I smiled, the corners of my lips going from ear to ear.

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  “It's about time.” Brutus said as he clasped his hands. “A proper battle. I’m tired of all of these raids. I’m tired of picking fights with lowly wastrels who can’t even hold a pitchfork the right way. There's no thrill to it. I will finally get to do battle with real warriors. I bet I’ll even crush the Bull’s head between my fingers.”

  “No.” A quick and steady response flew from my mouth as I eyed Brutus up and down. “The Bull is mine, Brutus. You can kill however many of his men that you like. Lift their broken bodies over your head and rip them apart like parchment, but the Bull is mine. I will be the one to humble him.”

  Brutus paused for a moment. He gave me a glare that felt like resentment. No doubt he wanted the glory of killing the Bull for himself. Who could blame him? The Bull was the one that hounded us since the very beginning of my legion, and killing him would bring glory. But even he soon bowed his head. This was a personal vendetta for myself. If anyone should kill the Bull, it was going to be me. “As you will it, Hadrian…” Brutus said with a defeated tone.

  Kallista smiled and crossed her arms just under her chest. “We’ll need to be careful, Kai’Sar. This will be open warfare on the field of battle. We will need to draw our battle lines very carefully. That said, I’ll begin mustering my people immediately.”

  I admired Kallista’s forward thinking. I nodded, giving her permission to carry out her orders without saying a word. I didn’t need to. I trusted her full heartedly, and she never gave me any cause for doubting her. I watched her leave and marveled at her body. But it wasn’t just lust that I was feeling. It was something more. More than even the highest respect. Though I dared not to utter that word at that point in time. Maybe she would forgive what I’d later recall as my stumblings. For I say this with all of my heart: out of every living soul in the legion, Kallista with her grace, her personality, her skill in combat was the only one that I could truly call my equal.

  I turned to the others and gave them my orders.

  “Octavian. Gather the men and make them ready. I want to make sure that everyone here is prepared. This will not be an easy, nor a quick battle.”

  “As the Kai’Sar decrees.” Octavian said before he turned and left.

  “Brutus.” I said as I stood straight and crossed my arms behind my back. “I am counting on you to get your people to be their finest. I have no doubt that you will show them the legions might.”

  Brutus nodded and quietly left, eager to spill our enemy’s blood. I pet Sweetroll’s head gently. All that was left was Straden.

  “Straden. I want you to govern the villages. The Bull might want to take them back. See to it that they are defended.”

  “By your will, Kai’Sar.”

  Straden left til I was alone. I pet Sweetroll and then gave her some food. Her favorite was something small like a chicken. The great beast would devour whole chickens as if they were nothing. I gave her three and then petted her face.

  “That's my good girl. Such a hungry girl, aren’t you? Fear not, my sweet. You’ll have your fill in time with the Bull’s men.”

  I guided her to her pen where she could bathe in sunlight and drink water. I then went to my tent. I felt like celebrating with a nice bottle of wine. The moment I had been waiting for had finally arrived.

  When I entered the tent, I was pleasantly surprised to find Abessa. The mother of that boy adapted well in her new role. She became my latest concubine. As befitting one of my concubines, I gave her fine silk clothes to wear along with beautiful jewelry. All of which had been discarded on the floor next to my bed that she was laying on. She had disrobed and was laying on her belly, allowing me to have a full view of her from behind. She turned her head toward me and winked at me. I didn’t even need to summon her.

  “Well…what's all this then?” I smiled, closing the tent door behind me. Abessa smiled. In the months that I had known her, she had changed. At first she was afraid. Rightly so. I had taken advantage of her to spare her son. Yet on the bed right there, it was like she was a different woman. She anticipated my arrival and carried herself like a liberated woman.

  “Oh, I just figured I would surprise you. That's all. I wanted to show how much I…appreciate my Kai’Sar~.”

  I moved closer to her and eyed her body up and down. In the months that I got to know her, I learned that there was some trouble in her paradise. She loved her son, but her husband grew distant from her. He left her dissatisfied and spent more time hunting and drinking with his brothers and their son rather than care for her needs. My gifts and my company made her feel desired again. And you know what the old saying is. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. That's not just true for people, but for touch as well.

  I stroked her inner thigh as I stood next to her on the bed and enjoyed the touch of her soft skin. She closed her eyes and shivered. I could feel the goosebumps rise as she moaned.

  “Hmmm. And your Kai’Sar truly appreciates you.” I began to disrobe. The wine would have to wait. Another form of comfort had just presented itself. Once I disrobed I gently moved over to her on the bed. She didn’t move and continued to look at me with a sly smile.

  “I’m glad. At first I was utterly terrified of you…now I see that you can make life far more enjoyable.”

  I craned my head down to her lips after she spoke and then kissed her lips. I then positioned myself and before long, the two of us were united. She let out a pleased and elicit moan before I wrapped my arms around her and did that old carnal dance. She grabbed my arm and showered my forearm with kisses as I laid down on top of her, my chest pressed against her back. She closed her eyes and continued to make such delightful sounds.

  “Hadrian~...” She whispered my name as if she was reciting a prayer. “I went to the healers today. It seems that your god has blessed me.”

  I kissed her shoulder and gripped her hand tightly as we continued to engage in our baser instincts. “Is that so?” I said in a sultry tone. “What did they say?”

  She arched her head and pressed her forehead against the soft bed. Sweat poured off of her body as I gave her what she desired. “I am pregnant with my Kai’Sar’s child. Your child~.”

  “Good. I’m glad.” I groaned as I too began to sweat with effort. “If our child is anything like your son, they will be strong indeed.”

  More cause to celebrate. At that instance we let go of any attachments to the outside world. All that remained was us. Just me and my concubine. Judge me all you like, but I treat my concubines fairly and with care. Though as we continued to engage in that primal rutting like animals, I couldn’t feel any eyes upon me, even if they were watching.

  Abessa’s son Artesh —very understandably— did not approve. Not that I cared or anything. To him it must have been the most humiliating thing. He lives because his mother chose to be in bed with me, his father’s killer. Not only that, but Abessa was enjoying that delicious, sinful time with me. Even more, she was pregnant with his half sibling. The child of the man who turned his life upside down.

  Could I have handled it a lot better than I did? Perhaps. But that was what had happened. Both good and bad. You are free to hate me yourself of course. I care not. But you may be surprised that I am not the lowest of the low. I have my vices but I do have some dignity, unlike rulers like Lak’Ashara.

  But let me stop myself before I ramble again. I bedded Abessa and we laid in bed together. She was an older woman yes, but one who was still youthful in body and spirit. She circled her finger along my chest.

  “I can’t believe how my life has changed this much. If you asked me a year ago that I would be in bed with a king and carrying his child inside me. I would have called you a fool.”

  “Life, Abessa, is full of winding twists and turns. We never know where we will end up. We may be tied down in a knot or slip through unseen passages.”

  Abessa nodded. She smiled and cupped my cheek before sitting up and straddled me. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I gently grabbed her hips and smiled as I looked up at her.

  “Again?”

  “Again~.” She replied before she took her pleasure once more.

  “At this rate you may be blessed with twins.”

  “That wouldn’t be too bad. Children do need to play with other children.” She lifted her head up and allowed herself to partake in our union once again. If I had not said it before, let me declare it now. It’s good to be the Kai’Sar.